Can I Put Together My Estate Plan Without A Lawyer?

While there is no legal requirement for your to retain an attorney to put together your estate plan, this decision should be well considered and not taken lightly.

There are a number of resources available to you, with estate planning outlines and forms available online, from the State Bar, or from the numerous books available on the subject. That said, you need to properly review the forms and the steps involved in the process. If you are unsure of anything, it is recommended that you seek professional help from lawyer.

* Is professional help required?

It depends. A lawyer should be the one preparing wills and trusts, as those are considered legal documents. There are other business representatives and professionals who can help with estate planning. These include financial planners, life insurance professionals, certified public accountants, pension consultants, and personnel managers. Each of these people have certain areas of expertise that can be useful in estate planning.

That said, the California State Bar recommends that you only seek help from professionals who have the necessary qualifications to give estate planning advice. In some cases, these professionals need to be state licensed, so be sure to ask about that, as well as their relevant qualifications. You also need to ask whether they really want to help, or have a financial incentive for doing so.